2018 Album Retrospective #1: Denzel Curry - TA13OO
As hip-hop continues to devour the space in mainstream music once occupied by pop and the sounds of trap music are heard everywhere from clubs to the Super Bowl, it was only natural that it would find criticism, be it from closeted racists pearl-clutching about lyrics concerning 'guns, drugs, and hoes' or rap purists arguing that so-called 'mumble rap' is superficial and devoid of talent. And while those arguing the former are rightly ridiculed, the homemade nature of 'Soundcloud rap' does seem to lend credence to the idea that anyone with a microphone and an 808 drum sample can stumble into a hit.
One of the underrated progenitors of this subgenre is Denzel Curry, a South Florida rapper who lay much of the groundwork for similar artists to rise to prominence from the music side of the Internet. Appropriately, his renown partly stems from his song Ultimate becoming a viral hit, but his 2016 album Imperial also garnered its share of praise from critics. Unlike much of the trap scene currently popular (and, indeed, many of the people he directly influenced), Denzel is a man of both taste and talent, if a bit limited by inexperience and the trappings of the genre he has made his name in.
But with TA13OO, those boundaries have largely been shattered, and more than anything to come before it, Denzel's masterpiece has displayed just how uninspired mainstream hip-hop is while simultaneously showing how its sounds can be used to produce something revolutionary. The separation of the album in three parts, a move which could have come off as nothing more than a cheap gimmick, in actuality gives the album a progression and flow unheard of in its contemporaries. Each of the three 'acts' is lyrically and tonally distinct, with overarching themes that show off the versatility of Denzel's craft. For someone most well known for his extremely aggressive style, to open the record with a 'Light' section full of more upbeat tracks is a surprise to say the least.
That being said, the title track is an incredibly melancholic opener, and finds Denzel at perhaps his most poetic. Rapping about his relationship with someone who was molested as a child, he describes himself consoling them both physically and mentally: "As you cry me a thousand lakes on my shoulder blade, I say/Everything's gonna be okay/I'ma hold tight 'til I see the next day with you". Depressing enough as it is, but the knowledge that Curry is also speaking about his own experiences being abused lets the song function at the same time as a confession of his own need for someone to comfort him, a deeply personal revelation that sets the tone for his most introspective album yet.
The opening act largely revolves around this concept of past trauma, and the numbing of one's pain using material possessions. BLACK BALLOONS alludes to grief hanging over one's head like the sword of Damocles as they pray for an escape from their suffering: "Soon black balloons pop/Let it be the day the pain stops". The brighter production on this song and CASH MANIAC eerily contrast against the darker nature of their lyrics, as Denzel makes it clear that money and drugs are merely his attempts to escape from his torturous past.
As the album progresses into its 'Gray' segment, Curry's fears become distressingly more apparent. While SUPER SAIYAN SUPERMAN is little more than a short, boastful exercise, its instrumental is noticeably darker, and even the awkwardly political SIRENS is far from hopeful, with guest rapper J.I.D mocking America's violent reality with barbs like "Oh say, can you see a hundred dead bodies in the street". Denzel's bars here are less than stellar, but the message is still heartfelt considering his own brother's death as a result of police violence.
Both SWITCH IT UP and MAD I GOT IT are meditations on the nature of 'fake friends', as Denzel finds those close to him attempting to use his success for their own selfish purposes. The former track is the more introspective of the pair, with clever musing such as "They only know Denzel Curry/But they really don't know Denzel/Everybody wanna ride waves/And jump when the ship don't sail". The next track boasts its own clever metaphors (Talkin' slick like it's oil speakin'/Down to earth, 'til my soil weaken/Venomous words, watching the poison leaking"), but now finds Denzel ready to defend himself from anyone coming after him or his celebrity: "When you see me better man up/Better make like a roller coaster, put your hands up".
These messages and themes come to a head on CLOUT COBAIN, a deeply moving meditation on how success can have terrible consequences that have doomed many artists to an early grave, Kurt Cobain being the obvious example. The inability to trust friends continues to weigh heavy on Curry's mind, but here his feelings manifest as an uncomfortable acceptance of the inevitability of death: "I stay low so my demons don't acknowledge me/When I go, I know death don't do apologies". The painfully honest lyrics, the bass-heavy beat, and Denzel's oddly melodic vocal style all work together to give the track an intensely unsettling vibe.
The album's third section, appropriately named the 'Dark' act, does not pull any punches: on the first lyrics of THE BLACKEST BALLOON, Denzel hears the call of his deceased brother, either as a cry for help or as a summons to the afterlife. This track also brings up drug abuse, another trapping of fame that is the central focus of the following track. However, this third chapter is characterized by Denzel's desire to rise above his enemies (be they literal or metaphorical), often using his trademark scream-filled rage. PERCS is one such display of savagery; in between admonishing hip-hop fans for promoting untalented trap artists, Denzel declares himself immune to the substance abuse that has killed so many of his colleagues: "I do not fuck with the percs, I barely fuck with the Earth".
Though the instrumentals throughout the album have consistently been dark, layered, and catchy, VENGEANCE is undeniably the crown jewel of the record. The intro's buildup suddenly bursts into a chorus of monstrous bass and the unwavering repetition of "I feel the pain, feel the rain/'Cause bitch, I want revenge", after which Denzel describes his plans to, among other horrible threats, chop people up and mix their remains into concrete. Still, perhaps the track's most impressive feature is that both of Denzel's guests easily match his ferocity, be it JPEGMAFIA's effortless flow while rapping "Bet you respect me when I check in with that .45" or trap metal artist ZillaKami's guttural proclamations of "My presence alone can exterminate masses/The tongue speak spells, cause blazing rashes". Despite the fast-paced shouting on the closer BLACK METAL TERRORIST, few songs ever would be able to match the sheer, unadulterated fury of this masterpiece.
On its own merits, TA13OO is a triumph, a twisted and masterful picture into the mind of a rapper consumed by the worst of the music industry's evils and yet utterly confidant in his ability to succeed. But more than that, it demonstrates Denzel's blatant talent to all those who deny hip-hop's artistry in the face of a new wave of independent rappers. To be fair, his highly aggressive style lacks the universal appeal or artists like Travis Scott or Future, and genre purists may be turned off by its underground style and the occasional flubbed line. Still, it's not just that Curry is able to shrug off his critics; he's more than ready to destroy them himself, if this album somehow has left any of them alive.